Holder for thermometers.



No. 897,075. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

' L. R. EDWARDS.

HOLDER FOR THERMOMETERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1907 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 897,075. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

L. R. EDWARDS. I HOLDER FOR THERMOMETERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

inniiimliiiinmum:

WITNESSES INVENTOH UNITED STATES ATENT 'OFFTQE.

HOLDER FOR THERMOME TERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Application filed November 2, 1907. Serial No. 400,351.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCY RIoN EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State ofFlorida, have invented a new and Improved Holder for Thermometers, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a holder for' a clinical thermometer, such asused by doc tors and trained nurses in taking the temperature ofpatients.

In hospital wards where numbers of patients are treated for infectiousor contagious diseases, it is frequently necessary that the thermometerused for taking the temperature of each patient should be usedeXclusively by that patient. It is also desirable to have thethermometers maintained in a disinfected or antiseptic condition.

The object of this invention is to provide a holder having means forholding thermometers in a disinfected or antiseptic condition.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the fig ures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a holder adapted to hold aplurality of thermometers in a disinfected state: this view is taken onthe line l1 of Fig. 2' Fig.2 is a plan of the thermometer-holder shownin Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a holder of a modifiedform adapted to be used with a single thermometer, showing a thermometerin position therein, the lower portion of the view being shown inelevation, and Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring especially to Figs. 1 and 2, which illustrate the preferredform of the inven tion, 1 represents the body of the holder, which isformed of glass or similar material, having a slightly enlarged base 2and formed with a plurality of wells or chambers 3. As shown in Fig. 2,one of these wells is disposed in the center of the body and the othersare disposed in a circumference thereabout. The upper ends of the wallshave contracted mouths 4, and a threaded. neck 5 is formed at the upperend of the body, upon which a cap 6 screws, as shown. This cap seats,when it comes upon an annular shoulder 7, at the root of the neck and isprovided with a plurality of openings 8 which aline with the mouths 4when the cap is seated.

Each of the wells contains an absorbent material, such as cotton, and adisinfecting bath 9. The thermometers are set in the holder, asillustrated in Fig. 1, and each well will hold a thermometer to be usedexclusively by one patient. The openings 8 in the cap are preferably ofgradually enlarged bore, so as to facilitate the introduction andremoval of the thermometers. I

In the modified form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, 11 represents the holder,which is preferably of substantially cylindrical form, slightly enlargedbelow so as to form a base 12 adapted to support the holder. Theinterior of the holder is hollowed out so as to form a eylindricalchamber 13, and the upper part of this chamber is closed by a screw-cap14, so that a contracted throat 15 is formed, through which thethermometer 16 may be introduced. The upper side of the holder is formedwith a conical bore 17, and around the upper extremity of the holder arounded bead or shoulder 18 is formed.

In the interior of-the chamber 13 and in the lower portion thereof aquantity of absorbent material 19, such as raw cotton, is placed, andthe chamber 3 is partially filled with a disinfectant solution 20. Theconical bore 17 facilitates the draining back of the drippings into theinterior of the thermometer holder when the thermometer is removed.

The caps of the holders operate as guides to facilitate the introductionof the thermometers into the chamber or chambers of the holder, and whenremoved, they facilitate the cleaning of the chambers, as will bereadily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

A holder for a thermometer having an elongated body with a plurality ofvertically elongated chambers formed therein, a removable cap attachedto said body and having a plurality of openings communicating with saidchambers and diverging upwardly to form guides in introducing thethermometers into said chambers, an absorbent inatename to thisspecification in the presence of rial g'eceiveld in said chamberls and1giisin'fecttwo subscribing Witnesses. in aths a so received in saircham ers said ho ider having contracted throats formed at LUCY RION Psaid openings tending to retain the said ab- MHtnesses: sorbentmateriaL- MARVIE E. WATT,

In testimony whereof I have signed my CHARLES F. KRAMER.

